1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a cartridge receptacle for an ink jet printer, which holds a cartridge having a print head and at least one removable ink reservoir. The receptacle includes a lever that covers at least a portion of the ink reservoir such that the ink reservoir cannot be changed without lifting the lever. Upon lifting and closing of the lever, a signal is output which prompts cleaning of the print head.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is generally known, color ink jet printers print images by superimposing dots having different colors. These dots are typically formed by ejecting different colored inks from a print head. The inks are typically stored in ink reservoirs, and are ejected from holes or nozzles on the print head. As might be expected, these holes or nozzles can clog from time to time, making it difficult to eject ink therefrom. In such cases, it is necessary to clean ink from the head before additional printing can take place. Such cleaning is often required when ink reservoirs are changed.
Conventional ink jet printers ensure that head cleaning takes place each time an ink reservoir is changed by cleaning their print heads in response to opening and closing of an access door on the exterior of the printer. However, this can result in unnecessary print head cleaning, particularly in cases where the access door is being opened for reasons unrelated to the print heads. As a result of such unnecessary cleanings, the amount of ink in the ink reservoirs is unnecessarily depleted.
To address this problem, printer hardware designers conceived of other methods for initiating cleaning of print heads. However, these methods met with limited success, since it was always possible to change an ink reservoir on a cartridge without initiating print head cleaning. Consequently, these other methods proved unsatisfactory.
Thus, there exists a need for a way to prevent changing of an ink reservoir in an ink jet printer without initiating cleaning of a corresponding print head.
The present invention addresses the foregoing needs by providing a cartridge receptacle which receives a cartridge having a print head and at least one removable ink reservoir, and a lever which extends over at least part of the ink reservoir so as to prevent access to the ink reservoir. The lever can pivot away from the ink reservoir so as to provide access thereto. Print head cleaning is prompted in response to the lever pivoting away from the ink reservoir and then back over the ink reservoir.
By virtue of the foregoing configuration, it is not possible to change an ink reservoir without pivoting the lever. As a result, each time an ink reservoir is changed, and the lever is subsequently pivoted away from and back over the ink reservoir, print head cleaning is initiated. Thus, in the present invention, unlike in its conventional counterparts, it is not possible to change an ink reservoir without initiating print head cleaning.
Thus, according to one aspect, the present invention is a cartridge receptacle which is mounted on a carriage for releasably receiving a cartridge having a print head and at least one removable ink reservoir. The receptacle includes a pivoting lever which permits removal of the at least one ink reservoir. The lever extends over at least a portion of the at least one ink reservoir so as to prevent access to the at least one ink reservoir until such time as the lever is pivoted away from the at least one ink reservoir. When the lever is pivoted away from the at least one ink reservoir, and then the lever is pivoted over the at least a portion of the at least one ink reservoir, a signal is output which prompts cleaning of the print head.
In preferred embodiments of the invention the cartridge has a circuit contact, and the cartridge receptacle includes a circuit contact which is contactable with the circuit contact mounted on the cartridge. When the lever is pivoted over the at least a portion of the at least one ink reservoir, the circuit contact on the cartridge receptacle contacts the circuit contact on the cartridge. On the other hand, when the lever is pivoted away from the at least one ink reservoir, the circuit contact on the cartridge receptacle breaks contacts with the circuit contact on the cartridge.
In particularly preferred embodiments, a break in contact between the circuit contact on the cartridge receptacle and the circuit contact on the cartridge, and subsequent contact between the circuit contact on the cartridge receptacle and the circuit contact on the cartridge causes output of the signal which prompts cleaning of the print head. By virtue of these features, the invention provides a simple manual construction which can issue the signal to prompt print head cleaning.
According to another aspect, the present invention is an ink jet printer which includes a first cartridge receptacle mounted on a carriage for releasably receiving a first cartridge having a first print head and at least one removable first ink reservoir, the first receptacle including a first pivoting lever which permits removal of the at least one first ink reservoir. The first lever extends over at least a portion of the at least one first ink reservoir so as to prevent access to the at least one first ink reservoir until such time as the first lever is pivoted away from the at least one first ink reservoir. When the first lever is pivoted away from the at least one first ink reservoir, and then the first lever is pivoted over the at least a portion of the at least one first ink reservoir, a signal is output which prompts cleaning of the first print head. Also included in the printer is a second cartridge receptacle mounted on the carriage for releasably receiving a second cartridge having a second print head and at least one removable second ink reservoir, the second receptacle including a second pivoting lever which permits removal of the at least one second ink reservoir. The second lever extends over at least a portion of the at least one second ink reservoir so as to prevent access to the at least one second ink reservoir until such time as the second lever is pivoted away from the at least one second ink reservoir. When the second lever is pivoted away from the at least one second ink reservoir, and then the second lever is pivoted over the at least a portion of the at least one second ink reservoir, a signal is output which prompts cleaning of the second print head.
By virtue of the foregoing configuration, it is possible to ensure that cleaning of a print head will be initiated upon changing of an ink reservoir. Moreover, because a signal is output to prompt ink cleaning of a particular print head when a lever is pivoted away and towards an ink reservoir, the invention makes it possible to designate only one or both print heads in the printer for cleaning.
This brief summary has been provided so that the nature of the invention may be understood quickly. A more complete understanding of the invention can be obtained by reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof in connection with the attached drawings.